Chương 18: Chapter 5 It Started Like Any Other Morning(Part 1)

"Tsukasa! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine, but how long was I asleep? And Dr. Takatsuki, could you please take your hands off my chest?" Takatsuki looked genuinely shocked, but he obediently pulled his hands away and immediately began checking my body with a stethoscope and a physical examination. Just hearing my own voice told me enough. And the moment I sat up in bed, it became impossible to deny reality. My seated height was noticeably lower than before. The whole thing hadn't been a dream. It had really happened. I glanced at the clock.

12: 20 a. m. Twenty minutes had passed since midnight. Apparently, it had taken twenty minutes from the moment I transformed until they decided to wake me up. For the first time, I felt like I understood how that crane from the old folktale must have felt when it begged people not to look.

"Rina. I wasn't lying, was I?"

"... You're really Tsukasa, right? Inside, I mean."

"Yeah. You saw it happen. My appearance changed, but I'm still Kuroe Tsukasa. Your husband." The moment I said that, Rina shoved Takatsuki aside and threw herself into my chest, crying. I gently patted her back, trying to calm her. Unfortunately, doing so made it impossible not to notice my own hand. Small. White. And completely hairless. I had plenty of attachment to my original body. I'd spent over forty years living in it, after all.

Still, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy to be rid of the belly that had come with age and the constant fatigue that never seemed to fully disappear anymore. After changing this much, I was fairly certain I had successfully acquired my class. Unfortunately, I had no way of checking right now. Eventually, Rina's crying eased. She didn't let go, though. Not that I particularly wanted her to. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Still, there were other people in the room. The flirting could wait until after I was discharged.

"Dr. Takatsuki, assuming the tests are finished tomorrow, can I go home?"

"There's absolutely no way that's happening, Mr. Kuroe." The answer came instantly.

"Tomorrow isn't just about medical examinations. The police also want to interview you. You should expect to be confined here for at least two or three days."

"... Understood." Time was running out. Since the date had changed, the Gate would open in roughly two days. Nine days after that, monsters would begin flooding out from the Collection Source. The Gate itself was too large a problem for any individual to handle. Still, I needed to do something. A warning. Anything. Even if it was only within the limits of what one person could accomplish.

"I'll cooperate with the examinations, but please finish them as quickly as possible. And if you can, I'd like to speak with the police before the tests. There are some extremely important matters that need to be addressed."

"I can't make any promises," Takatsuki replied, "but I'll prioritize your examinations as much as possible. As for the police…" He shrugged.

"First we need to convince them that you really are Kuroe Tsukasa." Fair enough.

"With the footage we recorded, my testimony, and your wife's testimony, we have evidence. But that's still where everything has to start." As he spoke, Takatsuki efficiently packed away the video camera and tripod. Once everything was gathered, he headed for the door.

"Get some rest tonight." He left with the nurses in tow. Judging by the look on his face, he seemed one step away from skipping down the hallway. Apparently, he'd just acquired the world's most fascinating laboratory specimen.

"Rina. Feeling a little better now?"

"No." She tightened her arms around me.

"I want to stay like this."

"... I see." I wasn't sleepy. Just mentally exhausted. My thoughts kept drifting toward the Gates and the coming disaster, but those weren't my highest priorities. Not right now. My wife. My children. The ordinary life we'd built together. Family came before strangers. Trying to save the world while neglecting the people closest to me was the fastest way to lose everything. Still... There was something fundamentally selfish hidden inside my personal philosophy.

If Sasaki had entered the Gate instead of me, perhaps things would have turned out differently. Maybe there would have been another future. But whether I could accept the way he handled that responsibility was another matter entirely. Because the truth behind my little creed was simple. It was selfishness. If Sasaki had been trapped inside and I'd been left outside, I knew exactly what would have happened. I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself. Not for letting him go. For forcing the burden onto someone else.

The clock eventually reached one-thirty in the morning. The hospital had grown quiet. I considered having a cigarette, but a large NO SMOKING sign on the wall reminded me that I'd have to go all the way to the smoking room. Life kept getting harder for smokers. While I sat there thinking about that, Rina finally loosened her grip and pulled away. Reluctantly.

"I've calmed down."

"That's good."

"You don't smell like Tsukasa anymore."

"That sounds unfortunate."

"But you smell nice." She poked my forehead.

"And your voice is still comforting."

"Glad to hear it." I smiled.

"So, what now? Are you staying here or heading home?"

"Mmm…" She glanced at the clock.

"It's late. Nayuta's in high school. He can survive one night alone."

"That confidence is terrifying."

"Which means…" She kicked off her shoes and climbed straight into the hospital bed.

"I'm staying." Under normal circumstances, a single hospital bed wasn't large enough for two adults. Fortunately, I was no longer adult-sized.

"Alright," I said.

"I'm going for a smoke, then I'll get some sleep." I slid off the bed and slipped on my slippers. Immediately, I nearly lost my balance.

"Whoa—" Rina caught me before I fell.

"You're so light!" She grabbed my arm and stared.

"What are you made of? Pumice stone?"

"Well, my body is hollow now."

"... Right." She looked like she wanted to ask more questions. Instead, she sighed.

"You can explain tomorrow."

"I will."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"Suit yourself." Hand in hand, we walked together through the dimly lit hospital corridor. For most of our marriage, I'd been taller than her. Now the situation had completely reversed. I was nearly a head and a half shorter. My body shape had changed so much that even the hospital-issued pants no longer stayed up. I'd tied the waistband tight with a cord, but eventually gave up and simply wore the gown by itself. Our shadows stretched across the linoleum floor. Most of the other patients were asleep.

We passed the nurses' station without encountering anyone. The night-duty nurses gave us amused smiles as we walked by. I wanted to tell them I wasn't some little girl afraid of using the bathroom at night. Then again... A few hours ago, I had literally become a little girl.

"Looks like we'll need to buy new clothes," Rina said. She looked me up and down.

"You're about one-thirty? One-forty?"

"Exactly one-forty, I think. Apparently everything else was adjusted according to the Golden Ratio, but I don't know the actual measurements."

"Huh." She nodded thoughtfully.

"So, same style as before? Or should we go all-in and put you in gothic lolita fashion?"

"If necessary, sure. But for everyday clothes, just get me normal stuff." I brushed a strand of long white hair from my face.

"And can we get something to tie my hair back? I've had short hair my whole life. This is driving me crazy."

"Not tonight."

"I figured." Chatting about trivial things, we continued toward the smoking room.